


Depths of the Earth, The

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Other - Freeform, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2002-07-01
Packaged: 2018-03-22 18:04:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3738299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(and other poems) New: When We Came Home</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Depths of the Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

the faint cry 'Gandalf!'  
on the stone walls still ringing  
was without meaning  
darkness without place in time

just struggling in black  
hands on claws of darkest fire  
which could not show the way  
if I ran or turned back

Cirdan's ring was in my pocket  
and I was not without the desire  
to use it  
but no power is anquanta, fullest  
analta, greatest  
when you can lose it

the whip coiled on my ancient skin  
and I thought that I might die  
except I couldn't  
not beneath the eleni  
the stars, the sky

but black torment I could feel forever  
when rings and quests were gone  
and I for a moment surrendered to the balrog  
until, far away, a light turned on

then I slew the distracted beast  
and crawled towards the glow  
to an elf and a radiance I thought dead long ago

In the depths of the earth  
I found him there  
he was  
cradling a gem and hiding it with his burnt hair  
moaning  
'ancalima harma'

I reached for the jewel, and felt its warmth against my palm  
but Maedhros screamed aloud,  
with animals words  
'get you gone!'  
and I saw the special torment saved for he  
worse than my own just past  
or his brother's in the cool sea

and though I had not from the balrog  
from this I thought I must flee  
for his pain was too great  
and so was my empathy

the heat of the jewel in my legs I ran  
til fissures became caves and caves rooms  
and then I continued walking  
my weaknesses healing with my wounds

***

My first LotR poem - please respond, this is probably not  
the final version. AU, I suppose, but I think it could be canon  
if elves are very hardy and you can blame continental drift. Or  
maybe not. The idea of it just struck me. Inspiration for  
this came from 'The Jewels' by Artanis.

***


	2. When We Came Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (and other poems) New: When We Came Home

when we came home  
your feet seemed almost to stumble on the front steps  
your eyes seemed almost to close in the middle of the day

when we came home  
you smiled, hiding your old scars  
hiding the pain that we all thought had passed away

when we came home  
you leaned against the door to watch the growing trees  
because you knew that you could only guess their height  
that you would be gone long before they scraped the stars  
'disapeared' as is the Baggins wont, and right

I cannot keep you here, I realize that  
as I leave my daughter's bedside and walk to yours  
apologies on your pale face, for what I'm missing  
but I'm missing you, dear Frodo, even more

when we struggled, when we climbed down mountainsides, when we prayed to the Valar  
when we thought that we were dead, the shire kept us on  
and I came home, to find my dreams full and beautiful  
and when you came home, you found your dreams were gone


End file.
